CathInfo.com

But the problem is that outside of mere sacramental validity, there is a lot more that comes with it. The spirit of the faith as given in the the advice in confession. As for Mass, then you have the sermons, the faithful, and even liturgical abuses like the dialogue Mass.

It depends on the priest(s), which is Matthew's overall point.  Still a lot of good priests in the sspx.

With heresy, all you need is one, just one drop of poison. Sometimes resistance priests and Bishops can say erroneous things, but the difference is that the SSPX is a structure. A structure which albeit imperfectly is part of the Conciliar Church. If you have decided to frequent their sacraments, you have locked yourself into that system. And you don't know how much more will come after that. (then comes Matthews point about 2 or 5 years time).

The sspx isn't heretical, so their structure isn't all bad.

Then you have to think of the children. They pick things up way quicker. Something weird in the sermon, and what? You try to explain to your 10 year old all the context around it? And expect that ten year old to go to confession to that priest?

The crisis in the Church is unavoidable, at this point.  Every catholic alive has to deal with this fight for the Faith, at some point.  That's why God gave us confirmation, so we can be a soldier for Christ.  Yes, children can pick up on things, but they are also simpler in thinking, and can spot half-truths easily. 


We all live in this messed-up world, full of Modernism, Protestantism, paganism, and satanism.  At some point or another, each person (including your children) will have to choose - God or the world.  You can't protect them forever.  God's grace is more powerful than all the evils of the world combined.  A person of goodwill (even a child) won't follow evil unless they choose to.  No one goes to hell by accident.

Do your best and leave the rest to God, who loves your children much, much more than you ever could.  Going to mass/sacraments at the sspx is far, far better than a "home alone" situation.

Attendance, or non-attendance, at your local SSPX is dependent on many factors, too numerous to list. In other words, it's a question of PRUDENCE, not of DOGMA. Prudence is about applying principles properly, in the proper order, to YOUR specific situation.

This does depend upon whether or not the priest at your local SSPX chapel was validly ordained by a validly consecrated bishop.  Unfortunately, this is an issue that has to be investigated--and if the chapel has more than one priest, the issue would effect what is in the tabernacle.

The "red light" position of some resistance and sede clergy towards the SSPX only does spiritual harm for Catholics deprived of the sacraments. One can only wonder how many Catholics have needlessly avoided decent SSPX chapels that are their only option for sacraments because of this ignorant viewpoint.

Ignorant? The complete opposite is the case. It sounds rather intellectually snobby of you to put things that way.

I am growing weary of hearing how it can do harm to avoid modernism and it's sacraments.

The sacraments are not emotional cushions. They are there to give us grace. If you choose to have emotional comfort knowing full well that this runs the very real risk of exposure to modernism, by omission as well as active word and deed, then I cannot see how you are not committing a sin.

There is risk in everything, but considering that the SSPX is now part of the Conciliar Church, it is too much of a risk.

Additionally, if you go to SSPX, then why stop at that?? Go to indult also. Why not go to the Latin, ad orientem Novus Ordos? I mean if it is only about liturgy, many of them are also good.

But if it is about the faith, then why can't you be consistent? Drawing a line to the left of the SSPX makes no sense from a rational point of view. You make it all subjective at that point, when there are very real objective markers which can be used. Bishop Tissier de Mallerais, back when he was Catholic, used the example of St. Hermenigild, who refused to receive the sacraments from an Arian Bishop, even though they had perfectly valid Masses. Validity is not enough. We are forbidden by Canon law to attend Eastern Orthodox sacraments, even though they are valid, because their position is against the faith. The same is with modernism. Modernism is outside the Church. It is not Catholic. This really is very simple.